I actually got to see my old Mini panel van this weekend.  It’s so unusual to sell a car and then have it move back to the area.  The person I sold it to in 2009 decided he had too many toys and too little time (gee, that sounds familiar…), so he advertised it on the Mini Mania web site.  The guy that bought it saw the ad the day the car was listed and immediately committed to buying it.  He had been looking for a panel van, and after seeing the ad he knew this one was for him.

So where do I come in?  I had been browsing Facebook when I saw a picture of the van that the buyer purchased – and of course I knew right away it was mine.  I messaged him and it turns out he lives in the next town over – about fifteen minutes from my house.  So I got to go over to meet him and see the van – my only concern was major seller’s remorse.

Well, it looks great – the exterior looks pretty much the way it did when I sold it, except that the previous owner put on plastic fender flares and gawd-awful modern 12″ wheels and tires.  Thankfully, the new owner has already taken them off and put the Minilites back on.  The interior also held a surprise – the previous owner had put in insulation and wood paneling – wood paneling?  What, is this the seventies all over again?  It may be quieter, but it’s truly ugly and now it had dozens of holes from the sheet metal screws used to install that mess.

The new owner absolutely loves it, and the first day it was registered he put 150 miles on it!  And we’ve agreed to go for a cruise with him in the van and me in the Sprite.  That will be a new experience – my current classic British car and my previous classic British car cruising around together.

No tears were shed, but the love for that car was still there.  It’s funny how some cars just grab you and don’t let go.  I never should have let it go, but it’s so cool that it’s around again.  From now on, I’ll be thinking long and hard before selling any vehicle that I get that attached to.